France Investigates Cyberattack Targeting Cooling Systems of Hundreds of Stores

French authorities announced that cyberattacks targeted the cooling systems of hundreds of supermarket stores, leading to rising temperatures inside refrigeration equipment and disrupting operations in several European retail chains.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stated before Parliament that approximately 700 out of 10,000 stores in France were affected by the attack. He confirmed that there is no immediate threat to the country's food supplies, but acknowledged at the same time that the attack "strikes at the heart of French food security," warning that it constitutes a "wake-up call for everyone."

The Paris Prosecutor's Office announced that its cybercrime unit has launched an investigation into the large-scale attack to assess the extent of damage caused by spoiled food products and the potential risk of fires resulting from the failure of cooling systems.

Dominique Schelcher, CEO of the French grocery chain "Coopérative U," revealed that 80 of the company's 2,000 stores were affected by the attack.

In a post on the X platform, he said that most stores managed to avoid cooling failures, but some were forced to dispose of food items.

He added: "Targeting essential equipment used to preserve fresh products is an attack on the French food supply chain. It is unprecedented, extremely dangerous, and unacceptable."

Danish technology company "Danfoss," which provides businesses with refrigeration management software, had previously announced that most of the affected systems were older versions that no longer receive software or security updates.

The company explained that it had long advised its clients to keep supported systems updated with the latest software and to operate them behind firewalls, noting that it is currently working with affected customers to limit the extent of the damage.